Sheaf loader



June 9, 1925.

W. A. BALDWIN SHEAF' LOADER Filed 001;. 8, 1923 u- EJJJ EH In IFIFH1 I NVENTOR WAJSaIdwug Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SHEAF LOADER.

Application :filed October 8, 1923. Serial No. 667,862.

To all whom it m ay concern:

Be it known that I, VVILL'IAM ALBERT BALDWIN, a subject of the King of Great .Britain, and resident of the city of VVinnipeg, in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheaf Loaders, of which the following is the specification.

, The invention relates to improvements in sheaf loaders and particularly to the pickup or nose end of the pickup conveyor of such a machine and an object of the invention is generally to arrange the construction of the parts of the pickup so that the various parts can readily be dismounted for repair or other purposes and such that the parts can be manufactured in a cheap and durable manner and readily assembled.

A further object is to construct the cam grooves which control the movement of the prongs from demountable parts which perniit not only of the easy truing up of the cam, but also permits of the removal of a broken part and the substitution of a new piece without entailing the loss of a complete head.

A further object of the invention is to construct the pickup so that the prong carrying shafts or pipes canbe quickly removed from the chain Wheels without having to dismount any other part, thereby permitting of the renewal of broken prongs in the field, provided substitute shafts are carried as part of the outfit.

l/Vith the above more important objects in view the invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter more particularly described and later pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of the forward end of a sheaf loader equipped with my invention. 7 Fig. 2 is a side view of the veyor of the sheaf loader.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed vertical sec tional View at 33 Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the applied arrow.

Fig. i is a vertical sectional view at 4- Fig. 3 and looking inwardly.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view at 5 Fig. 8 and looking inwardly.-

Fig."6 is an enlarged detailed vertical secpickup conpickup appliance 2, the prongs being' rotated and controlled to raise'the sheaves from the ground and deposit them on the conveyor. The conveyor, in turn, elevates them to a second discharging conveyor 3 which carries the sheaves to a position where they can be deposited in an accompanying wagon rack. A sheaf loader of this general type is now in use and the present invention relates more particularly to the nose end of the conveyor and the means for controlling the pick up prongs.

The side frames of the conveyor 1 are identically constructed, each comprising a pair of parallel spaced side bars 4 and 5 preferably angle irons and the bars are connected at their upper ends by a top plate 6 rivetted or bolted. thereto and at their lower ends by a head plate 7 fastened by bolts 8 to the bars. The upper shaft 9 of the conveyor isinounted in the plates 6 and is carried rotatably in the upper ends of similar standards 10 extending upwardly from the main frame 11 of the machine. The lower or nose end of the conveyor is accordingly pivotally supported so that it can be raised or lowered in respect to the ground. The lower conveyor shaft 12 is rotatably carried in a special manner by the headplates and the said shafts 9 and 12 are both fitted adjoining their ends and within the side frames with chain-wheels 13, the chain wheels carrying the side chains 14 of the conveyor.

In the present instance the chain wheels 13 of the lower shaft rotatably support three similar pipes or shafts 15 the pipes being positioned 120 degrees apart and being provided each with a set of suitably spaced extending prongs 1G. The ends of the pipes are all provided with equi-length cranks 17 each crank being in reality a rod having its ends oppositely bent and positioned at right angles to the body of the rod and one end inserted in the pipe and fastened by a pin 18 and the other end fitted with a roller 19.

Each of the lower chain wheels 13 is fitted at its periphery with a plurality of similar semi-circular notches 20, the notches appearing between the bases of adjacent teeth and being positioned 120 degrees apart. In each notch a sleeve 21 is mounted, the sleeves ro-' tatably supporting the ends of the crank attached to the pipes 15 and each sleeve is supplied with an inwardly xtending head 22 which is fastened by a removable bolt 23 to the inner face of the chain wheel. The head of each sleeve is formed also to provide an offset hook 241 which is adapted to engage with a pin 25 carried by the chain wheel. This latter-hook or pin serves in each case as a liner when setting the bolts 23 and also assists the bolts in preventing the working loose oft-he sleeves.

According to this arrangement it will be apparent that any of the pipes 15can be dismounted from the chain wheels by simply undoing the bolts 23,- turning the heads of the sleeves to free the catches from the sleeves from the notches.

The rollers 19- are positioned directly at the inner side ofthe head plates 17 and the headplates are provided each with an inwardly extending flange 26, the flange extending completely around the lower semicircular end of the head plate and then passing across the head plate. asbest shown in Fig; lto-form an outer continuous track.

A- cam plate 27'is secured by bolts 28 to the inner side of each head 7 andthe periphery of the cam plate in each instance forms an inner track 29 directly opposite the former-track,.,the two tracks in reality forming a'cam shaped groove 30 adapted to receive the rollers 19 and control the movement of the cranks. Here it will be observed that in the rotation of the chain wheels the cranks trailbehind the shafts 15 andthat the shape of the camgroove con trols through the rollers andcranks the position of the prongs 16. The shape of the cam grooves is such that the prongs are extended as they swing-around the underside of the conveyor nose, are held extended until they reach the top side thereof and are then gradually withdrawn to clearpast the deck 31 of the conveyor frame. This latter movement'of the prongs-is not new as it is used on machines previously invented and now onthe market, and accordingly a more detailed description of the action is not entered into. 1

In order to positively prevent the cranks from swinging ahead and leading instead of trailing, Ihave provided'the inner sides of the chain wheels with stops 32 which permit of the free movement of thecranks under the control of the cam grooves, but absolutely prevent them from swinging ahead as-the rollers are moving in the upper parts of the grooves 30.

The plates 27 are titted with square bosses or sleeves 33 which are mounted in and extend outwardly through the heads 7 and the plates and bosses-form an'extensive bearing for'the ends of the shaft 12. The pipes 15 are supported centrally of their length by a wheel 34: mounted on the shaft 12 and provided with a peripheral'fl'ange which is supplied with cross channels 36 adapted to receive and support the pipes. The pipes are held in place by straps 37 suitably bolted to the flange of the wheel.

From the above descriptionit will-be obvious that the various parts of the pick-up can be readily dismounted for repair or other purposes and also that should breakage occur itwill not entail-nmchloss as the broken part can readily and cheaply be renewed. Further, it will be apparent that a comparativelylong bearing is provided for supportingtheendsof the-shaft 12 and such bearings are firmly held in" place so that they cannot work looseand cause undesirable wear whichis detrimental to the efficient operation ofthe-pick-up.

lVhat I I claim as my invention is:

1.- In a sheaf loader, a pick up comprising opposing rotatably mounted and driven chain wheels, a plurality ofsuitably spaced prong carrying shafts extending between and through suitable notches provided in the chain wheels and bearings rotatably supporting the shafts and' detachably attached to the chainwheels.

2. In a sheaf loader, a pick up-comprising opposing-rotatab'ly mounted and driven chain wheels, said chain wheels having suitably spaced notches formed in the; periphery thereof, bearingsleeves mounted in the notches and detachably connected to the wheels'and'similar prong carrying shafts extending between the chain wheels and having-the ends thereofrotatably mounted in the bearing sleeves. i

3. In a sheafloader, a pick up comprising a. rotatably mounted shaft, opposing driven chain wheels mounted on the ends of the shaft, said ch'ain wheels having suitably spaced notches formed in the peripheries thereof, the said notches extending inwardly from the bases of'adjacent" teeth bearing sleevesmounted in the notches and provided with extensions detachably fastened to the chain wheels, a plurality ofsimila-r parallel and prong carrying shafts rotatably carried by opposing pairs of bearing sleeves, said shafts having the ends thereof terminating in cranks positioned at the outer sides ofth'e chain wheels.

4:. In a sheaf loader, a pick up comprising a rotatably mountedshaft. opposing driven chain wheels mounted on the ends of the shaft, said chain wheels having suitably spaced notches formed inthe peripheries thereof, the said notches extending inwardly from the bases of adjacent teeth, bearing sleeves mounted in the notches and provided stops located on the outer faces of the chain With extensions detachably fastened to the Wheels and engageable With the cranks. 10 chain Wheels, a plurality of similar parallel Signed at Winnipeg, this 14th day of Sepprong carrying shafts rotatably carried by tember,.1923.

' opposing pairs of bearing sleeves, said shafts having the ends thereof terminating W'ILLIAM ALBERT BALDW'IN. in cranks positioned at the outer sides of In the presence ofthe chain wheels, and suitably positioned GERALD S. ROXBURGH. 

